Treatment of tobacco.



No. 822,239 I PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906. A. 6. & G. Q. BEDORTHA. I TREATMENT OF TOBACCO APPLIOATIOH IILBD FEB-15. 190B.

UNITED STATES PAT NT o IoE';

ALFRED C. BEDORTHA AND GEORGE Q. BEDORTHA, OF WINDSOR,

" CONN ECTICUT.

TREATMENT OF TOBACCO.

v Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 15, 1906- Serial No. 301,206-

Patented June 5, 1906 To all who'm'it may concern Be it known that we, ALFRED C. BEDOR- THA and GEORGE Q. BEDORTHA, citizens of the United States, residing at Windsor, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Treatment of Tobacco, of which the following is a specification.

The-bouquet of smokin -tobacco is affected by the character of the acteria and spores on the leaf. A more esteemed flavor maybe imparted to tobacco naturally having an inferior flavor by destroying the bacteria and spores whichpropagate on the leaf as the result of the conditions under which it is grown and substituting a cultivated bacteria which will produce the desiredfragrance. This can be accomplished by ridding the leaves of ex supplying to the sterilized leaves the s ecific .rolled intothe chamber on a track 3.

bacteria or cultures thereof which wil cause such action during the subsequent fermentation as will roduce the characteristic flavor when the to acco is smoked. v

This invention relates to the treatment of tobacco undergoing such a process.

The object of the in ention isto provide a simple, easily conducted, and inex ensive sterilizing'treatment which will sure y in a short time destroy all of the original bacteria and spores and leave the tobacco in good condition to receive the cultivated bacteria, which aresubsequently applied without deleteriously affecting the texture of the leaves. This treatment may be carried on by various apparatus, One form of apparatus which may beused for the purpose is illustrated by the sectional plan shown in the accompanying drawing. f i

The tobacco treated is loosely-laid out on open trays 1- and placed in' a chamber '2. It is preferred to pile the trays on a truck which can be easily The chamber hasa hinged door 4 atone end,

which may be 0 ened to permitithe truck with the trays o tobacco tobe moved into the chamber and a hingedrloor 5 at'the other end which may be opened for the purpose of allowing the removal of the tru These in bunches or hands to'be doors are arranged so they may be fastened tightly against the-ends of the chamber, but

may be easily swung when the fastenings are loosened. It is preferred to have the walls of the chamber doubleand to connect the s ace between the Walls with a steam-supp y, so that the chamber may be kept warm or the purpose of preventing the" collection and precipitation o in the interior. v E

Apipe 6, that opens through the door 4, connects one end of the chamber'with the outlet of a blower 7. The section of this ipe that is connected with the door is jointe so that the door may be swung open when its fastenings are removed. A gate 8 is arranged in this pipe, so that the communication through it may be closed when desired. A

moisture on the tobacco pipe 9', opening through the door 5 ,connects the other end of the chamber'with the inlet of a heating-box 10. This pipe is also jointed, so that the door may be opened, and it is provided with a gate 11, by which communication through it may be cut off.

In the heatlng-box is a coil of pipe 12, which is connected with a steam-supply for the purpose of heating the air that flows through the box. The outlet from the box I is connected with the inlet to the blower. I

An exhaust-pump 14 is connected with the chamber by a pipe 13.. This pi e is preferably provided with a valve 15, w ich may be usedfor closing communication between the pump and the chamber. Communicating with the exhausting-pipe is a heating-box 16,

containing a coil 17, that is-adapted to be connected with a steam-supply. A valve 18 is provided for controlling the flow of air into this heating-box. v

- In carrying out this invention the bunches of tobacco-leaves are first thoroughly dried in order to evaporate all of'the free water or moisture from the surfaces of the leaves. These dried leaves. loosely placed upon the open trays so that air may circulate around and between them, are put in the chamber,

and when the ends of the chamber are tightly closed they are subjected to a flow of hot air.

The flow of hot air is produced by the rotation of thefa'n, which draws air out of'the chamber over-the steam-coils in the heatingbox and then forces the heated air back into the chamber. This circulation of heated air is continued until the air in the chamber has reached a tem erature (approximately 25b Fahrenheit) wliich issufficiently high to destroy the bacteria and spores existing on the tobacco. It is not to be understood that the invention is limited to the employment of this exact temperature, nor that it is essential that all the bacteria and spores shall be killed by subjecting them to the action of circulating hot air.

It has been found in practice that there are small pockets or air-spaces between some of the leaves which are treated by the circulation of hot air which will not be raised to a temperature sufliciently high to kill the bacteria and spores on the surfaces about the pockets.- In order to insure. a complete circulation and the filling of these pockets with sterilizing-air sufficiently to kill the bacteria and spores after as much has been done as can be with the circulation of heated air, the gates in the circulating-pipes are closed, and then the exhaust-pump is set in operation and air is exhausted from the chamber until there is, say, perhaps, a twenty-inch barometric pressure in the interior. When the chamber has been sufficiently exhausted, air is allowed to flow gradually into the interior over the steam-pipesin the heating-box adjacent to the vacuum-pump. The hot air that enters under these conditions permeates the leaves and fills'the exhausted pockets and destroys the bacteria and spores which were not affectedby the previous heating. The tobacco is subjected to-the action of this heated air for perhaps thirty minutes. It is to be understood that if all of the bacteria and spores are notdestroyed after the first withdrawal of air from the pockets by the action of the vacuum-pump the process may be repeated until sufficient heat is conveyed into the interior between the leaves to cause the required "destruction of the bacteria and spores.

The air at atmospheric pressure, which is let into the chamber after exhaustion, may be admitted through either of the hot boxes, as

desired, and the fan which produces-the circulation in the interior may be or,may not'be ke t in operation while the chamber is being ex austed'and refilled, and it'is, to beunderstood that the degree of vacuum is not absolutely fixed, that degree being used which will assure the entrance of the hot air into all of the pockets that may exist between the leaves.

The sterilized tobacco afterbeing removed from the chamber may be set aside to be again subjected to a second sterilization, if

desired, in case undeveloped spores existing on the tobacco have not been destroyed.

.The steam-jacket about the exterior of the chamber keeps the interior warm and of unisaaeso form temperature and prevents the accumu lation or precipitation of moisture therein, which is particularly advantageous when the apparatus is employed for sterilizing leaves which are to be used for cigarflvrappers. The tobacco after having been thoroughly sterilized and after it has cooled is moculated or coated with bacteria obtained from tobacco the flavor of which is to be reproduced or with cultures of such bacteria. This inoculation may be produced by dipping or spraying or any other convenient method. After inoculation the tobacco may be moistened'and then packed in any desirable way under conditions which will allow the bacteria to develop and fermentation to ensue. As a result of this exhaustion process the sterilization can be accomplished in a very short time, so that the texture of the leaves will not be deleteriouslvafl ected bythe heat to which they are sub ected. This leaves the tobacco very flexible and elastic.

The invention claimed is 1. The treatment of tobacco which consists in subjecting the leaves to'the action of hot air below atmospheric pressure, substanpiiagily as described and for the purpose speci- 2. The treatment of tobacco which consists in drying the leaves, and then subjecting the dried leaves to the action oi hot air below atmospheric pressure, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

3. The treatment of tobacco which consists in subjecting the leaves to the action of hot air in artificial circulation above atmospheric pressure, .and then subjecting the leaves to the action of hot air below atmospheric pressure, substantially as describedv and for thepul'pose specified.

4. The treatment of tobacco v which consists in subjecting the leaves to the action of hot air in artificial circulation, and then exhausting air from the leaves and afterward subjecting the leaves to the action of hot air at atmospheric pressure, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

5. The treatment of tobacco which consists incompletely drying the leaves of the tobacco, subjecting the dried leaves to the action of hot air in artificial circulation, exhausting the air from the leaves, then admitting hot air to the leaves until they are subj ected to hot air at substantially atmospheric Iio pressure, substantially as described and for I the purpose specified.

ALFRED G. BEDORTHA.

' GEORGE Q.- BEDORTHA.

Witnesses:

ETHEL M.-LOWE,

HARRY R. WILLIAMS. 

